Groton fires superintendent

Groton — An arbitrator's ruling that School Superintendent Paul Kadri had engaged in conduct that warranted his firing prompted the Board of Education to dismiss him Tuesday, effective immediately.

The move followed a lengthy process that began with school employees' complaints that Kadri had been abusive toward them.

"This has been a long and difficult process for all concerned, particularly the school district employees who stepped forward and testified regarding their treatment by Mr. Kadri," school board Chairwoman Kirsten Hoyt said in a statement. "We look forward to putting this unfortunate chapter in the school district's history behind us."

Hoyt said board members and school officials would meet to determine how to go about naming a new superintendent.

Kadri, hired by the district in 2008, had been placed on paid administrative leave in May when the school board ordered an investigation into the allegations against him. The probe, involving interviews with more than a dozen current and former employees, revealed more claims of intimidating, abusive and hostile treatment by Kadri, mostly toward female school employees. Kadri denied the allegations.

The school board notified Kadri in September that it would consider his termination, citing "unprofessional and unethical behavior" among the reasons.

After five days of a hearing that ended in January, both Kadri and the board agreed to abide by the ruling of independent arbitrator Timothy Bornstein, who conducted the hearing.

In a decision the board received Tuesday, Bornstein ruled that Kadri "engaged in conduct warranting termination of his employment," the board announced in a press release. "By agreement of the Parties, that decision is binding and Mr. Kadri's termination is effective immediately."

Interim Superintendent John Ramos, a former school superintendent in Bridgeport, is under contract through June.